I've seen a few pics of the modified air scoops on the R53 like the M7 vortex and was wondering: are these purely aesthetic or are they actually functional, i.e., do they increase the amount of air shoveled into the intercooler? Any positive impact on performance?

I like the look of the extended upper lip of these scoops but wanna be clear if I'm getting form, function, or both.

I replaced my melty hood scoop just so it wouldn't look gross and warped but I took the opportunity to get an M7 carbon fiber Vortex 2 scoop because it wouldn't melt and really because it looks cool- I'd just bought my car and wanted to make it feel like it was mine by putting my stamp on it. A nice side benefit is that I can hear my turbo blow off a little louder. I don't have any illusions of huge performance gains, but it can't hurt to keep temps a little lower in the engine bay. I'm curious about the drag now that you mention it, but it's not like a Mini is the most aerodynamic thing out there anyway.

Thanks to both of you for the replies. My hunch was that this would be mostly for the looks, which I like. Speaking of which, I think i saw a pic of your car ElderHatesman, which is what got me thinking...

I used the first M7 scoop on my '03. I modified it a bit to open it up a good amount. Tracked the car all the time and I will say that there were absolutely benefits to the IC temps making the car a bit quicker, and I would say that there was little to no real added drag. I loved it.

I'm using the M7 Ram Air, less extreme than the M7 "Extreme" Think that's what your showing Greg? But regardless of whatever scoop you use, you should always tailor your scoop, diverter, to your specific use. I customized my scoop, IC diverter to close up the gaps has much as possible BTW, I use the M7 Ram Air and the GP intercooler, with the factory GP diverter. But as said, modified it.

I used the first M7 scoop on my '03. I modified it a bit to open it up a good amount. Tracked the car all the time and I will say that there were absolutely benefits to the IC temps making the car a bit quicker, and I would say that there was little to no real added drag. I loved it.

Whats your wheel tire setup?! It is exactly what I have been looking for...